Self-soaping washboard.



F. J. MILLER.

SELF SOAPING WASHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. 1911;

hwfifi 1. Pateritedgllov. 20,1911

FRED J. MILLER, OF SILVER CITY, IOWA.

SELF-SOAPING WASHBOARD.

' manner,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20 1191?,

Application filed May 23, 1917. Serial No. 170,489.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, FRED J. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Silver City, in the county of Mills and State of Iowa; haveinvented certain useful Improvements in Self- Soaping l/Vashboards, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompany ing drawing.

The invention relates to a washboard and more particularly to the classof self soaping washboards.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a board of thischaracter wherein a bar or cake of soap is held in a manner so that therubbing surface of said board can be supplied with a quantity thereofwhen the .occasion requires for the soaping of clothes to assure thethorough cleaning of the same.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a washboard of thischaracter wherein the soap is confined in a frame which is slidablyfitted in the board so that on movement of theframe the soap thereinwill be scraped from the cake and delivered on to the rubbing surface ofsaid board for the application to the clothes in the rubbing of thesame. i

A further object of the invention is the provision of a washboard ofthis character wherein the construction thereof is novel in form toassure the easy soaping of the rubbing surface of the board withoutundue exertion on the part of the user of said board.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a board ofthis character which is extremely simple in construction, thoroughlyreliable and efiicient in operation, strong, durable and inexpensive inmanufacture. a I

With these and other ob ects in view the invention consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingand pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a washboard constructed in accordancewith the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 1% of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views in the drawings. 1

Referring to the drawing in detail, A designates the body of thewashboard which includes the side rails 10, upper and lower cross rails11 and 12, respectively, spaced parallel longitudinally disposed braces13, breast board 14; and corrugated rubbing section 15, which latter issecured in the rails 10, 11 and 12 in the usual well known manner.

Arranged at the head of the body A is a pusher bar 16 which is providedwith guide arms 17 arranged at the rear side of the breast board andformed with ribs 18 slidably engaged in suitable grooves or channelsprovided in the inner faces of the side rails 10 of said body, whilecentrally of said pusher bar 16 is a plunger bar 19 which works throughasuitable hole in the upper cross rail 11 and is connected with a soapcontainer hereinafter described.

The soap container is in the form of a substantially rectangular shapedframe 20 open at its front and back and slidably view on the line 5-5fitted between the braces 13, the frame 20 being designed to receive acake or bar of soap 21 which acts directly upon the rubhing section 15,the latter being provided with a plurality of holes 22 in the path ofmovement of the cake or bar of soap 21, the edges of these holes 22being designed to serve as scrapers adapted to cut the bar or cake ofsoap so that the disintegrated quan tity will pass through the holes tothe outer surface of the rubbing section 15 when the container isreciprocatingly moved at the rear thereof for the application of thesoap to clothes when rubbed upon said section, thereby thoroughlysoaping the same for the thorough cleaning of the clothes in the use ofthe washboard.

Surrounding the plunger rod 19 is a coiled compression spring 23 whichhas one end bearing upon the upper rail 11 and the other end against afixed washer 2d of the plunger rod 19 so that said plunger rod andpusher bar are resiliently supported or tensioned whereby on manuallydepressing the pusher bar 16 the soap container will be isms moved inone direction against the resistance of the spring 23 whichautomatically moves the soap container in the reverse direction when thepressure is released from the pusher bar and in this manner the soap isautomatically fed to the rubbing surface of the washboard; H

Removably engaged in the rear side of the soap container and bearing aainst the soap bar orcake 21 therein is a follower in the form of aplate2-l which is carried upon a resilient arm 25 swingingly supportedupon the plunger rod 19, the rod being fitted with a bolt 26 on which isengaged the resilient arm 25 and threaded on this bolt. 26, is a wingbinding nut 27 which holds the resilient arm in adjusted positionthereon as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 or by full lines in Figs. 1,2 and 3 of the drawing. When the follower plate 24 has been shifted awayfrom the soap container a cake or bar ofsoap can be readily removedtherefrom or placed therein as the occasion may require.

Slidably connected with the braces 13 is a closure plate 28 which isadapted to move in a position for closing the back of the soap containeras shown in Fig. l of the drawings and on movement of said plate 28 inthe reverse direction free access can be had to the container.

In the use of the washboard when it is desired to supply aquan'tity ofsoap to the rubbing face of the rubbing section 15 of said board theuser depresses the pusher bar 16' against the resistance of the spring23 which moves the soap container in one direction and the bar or cakeof soap therein is sustained against the inner face of the rubbingsection by the follower so that on the movement of the container thesoap is fed through the holes in the rubbin section on to the rubbingsurface thereof? On retrograde or reverse movement of the containerwhich affect-ed under the action of the spring 23 when pressure isrelieved from the pusher bar 16 the feeding of the soap is repeated or afurther quantity of said soap is delivered on to the rubbing surface ofthe rubbing section ofthe board so that on the'rubbing of clothesthereon the 7 soap will be supplied thereto for the thorsame, and meansfor resiliently supporting the pusher bar. 2. A washboard comprising-abody having'a rubbing section provided with holes in a portion thereof,a soap container slidably mounted at the rear of the section'and movableover the apertured portion, a pusher bar at the head of said body andconnected to said container for moving the same, means for resilientlysupporting the pusher bar, and a follower for thecontainer to press abar or cake of soap therein against the apertured portion ofthe sectionfor the feeding of the soap on to the rubbing surface of said section. tI

3. A washboard comprising a body having a rubbing section provided withapertures, braces at the rear of therubbing sec.- tion, a frame forminga soap container slidably iitted between the braces, a pusher barslidably supported at the head of said body, a plunger connected withthe bar and frame for moving the same on depressing the pusher bar,means for tensioning the pusher bar and plunger and a resiliently andswlngingly supported follower worklng w1th1n the "container for pressingsoapin the lat-' ter through the apertures in the rubbing section onreciprocatingly moving the container. V

In testimony whereof I afliX my'signat-ure.

FRED J. MILLER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner otPatents,

Washington, D. G. V

